i have just had my second baby, and now my perfect 4yo is waking with night terrors. he is completely non-coherent and it last for up to 30mins with him just screaming and crying. he is not awake and has no recollection in the morning. he is a very happy boy, and i have not seen any problems since bringing home the baby. he loves his new brother and is a very secure little boy. what do i do when he is in the middle of one. my husband had to take him for a drive to the river at midnight the other night just to wake him up. dont want to frighten him... help? i am sleep deprived enough with bub, now when bub is sleeping i am up with the other one?
2007-02-27 23:38:12 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
My youngest also has night terrors. He was just over 1 yr when they started and he is now 2. It is just heart wrenching (along with draining) to watch him go through it. Not that it helps any, but family histories of sleep walking, night wetting and night terrors all go together. Also they all happen in stage 4 sleep, not dream (REM) sleep, but none know (yet) what really triggers them and why.
Our pediatrician advised us to be calm, reassure him and try to gently awaken him. Once awake the terror immediately stops and he is ready to 'go back to sleep'. Then it takes dad and me another hour to get our hearts back to normal to go to sleep. :-)
They are often triggered in children who are overtired, so if the new baby has indirectly gotten him of schedule try to making sure he is getting enough rest can help to prevent them.
Night terrors usually occur in the early part of the night, about 1 to 4 hours after going to sleep. If he gets them frequently, it might help to wake him up BEFORE the time that he usually has a night terror. This is thought to interrupt or alter the sleep cycle and prevent night terrors from occurring (it also works for sleepwalking). We did this with out youngest and the terrors have GREATLY reduced.
It is perfectly safe to wake someone who is having a night terror. Just please be calm and gentle!
It's hard, but take care - you all will do great!
2007-02-28 02:31:31 · answer #1 · answered by g-lady 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I feel for you.
I shared a room with my sister as a kid..and she had them It was terrifying for me because she was a lot older than me.
Now my son has them.
All you can do is make sure he is safe. Let him know in a loving voice that you are there. Ask him questions about where he is and what is so scary....STAY CALM!
He may be dreaming that he is lost in a mall without you. He may be dreaming that he is in a pit of snakes. Just stay calm yourself and let him know that you are there....ask him to take your hand and you will lead him to safety.
It is a heartbreaking thing to watch your child go thru this. It can be confusing too since it seems like they ARE awake. My son can even open his eyes, carry on a conversation, walk to the bathroom and back. .. but he is still asleep.
love and support mom, love and support...we will sleep when we are old.
2007-02-28 01:45:58 · answer #2 · answered by foxinsox 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I really feel for you. I babysit my three granddaughers and last fall the youngest, who is now 22 months, went through it. Fortunately, it only lasted a few nights. I was told just to make sure they don't hurt themselves and not to bother to try to wake them up. They can't help it. I looked on webmd and got some great info. Good luck!
2007-02-28 01:18:02 · answer #3 · answered by AKA FrogButt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
visit this link, it has great information such as don't wake him, stay calm etc. i know it is terrifying for you as a parent, he can't remember it in the morning but you can. don't pass this stress on even though you are tired and worried.
make a diary of food and see if anything in particular is setting him off. good luck.
2007-02-27 23:49:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
my beliefs are night terors are caused by past life experiances.just talk to him and tell him to give it to god tell him its from an old life hes safe now my daughter had similar issues it worked after 2 or three times
2007-02-27 23:47:51 · answer #5 · answered by tiny likes clams 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a sad reality.It sounds like a temper tantrum going on in his thoughts. instead of outright rejecting the second child.
2007-02-27 23:55:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋